Just about a year ago, Frank Theatre introduced the work of Polish-American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok to #TCTheater with the play
Ironbound, about which I wrote, "It's only mid-January, but I'm confident this will be one of the best plays of 2024." That statement proved to be true;
Ironbound did indeed
make my list of 2024 favorites, and was nominated for five
Twin Cities Theater Blogger Awards (winning one). Frank was smart to go back to that well and bring us another Majok play this year.
Sanctuary City is another powerful and timely drama with fantastic performances by the small cast, spot on design, and impeccable direction.
See it Thursdays through Sundays at Open Eye Theatre until February 23 (note: Open Eye is a small space and some performances are already selling out, so don't wait too long to get your tickets to see what could be one of the best plays of 2025!).
Ironbound told the story of a Polish immigrant struggling to find the American Dream we're all promised (the playwright's experience).
Sanctuary City is about two teenagers who immigrated with their mothers when they were children, and now have to find a way to stay in the only home they've known. The play is not written specifically about any immigrant community, and director Wendy Knox chose to cast Asian American actors to reflect the local community. The first half of the play is constructed of short scenes (some less than a minute) punctuated by total blackout accompanied by music. In a piecemeal way, we learn about these two friends known only as G and B. G often asks to crash with B to escape an abusive home, while B is dealing with his mother's plans to return to her home country and leave him behind. The structure reminds me a bit of the play
Constellations, in that we sometimes see multiple versions of the same scene with slight variations. It's not linear or entirely logical, but it gives us a picture of these teenagers' lives, and the structure of the storytelling makes us feel the instability and unpredictability of living as an undocumented immigrant, a life these kids did not choose.
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Stephanie Anne Bertumen and Clay Man Soo
(photo by Tony Nelson) |
In the second half of the play we jump forward in time a few years and settle into one long scene that is more realistic. The design reflects that; the first half of the play is performed on a completely bare stage with just a few blocks moved around to form a bed or bench. The second half set reveal (after an extended blackout with music) lands us in an apartment with real furniture and props that make it look lived-in, more grounded in reality. A third character is introduced that has some say in G and B's plan to marry after G becomes a citizen, so that B can get his green card. But the best laid plans of teenagers often go awry, as they do here in a heart-breaking way. (Set design by Joe Stanley, lighting design by Tony Stoeri, sound design and music composed by Dan Dukich.)
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Keivin Vang, Clay Man Soo, and
Stephanie Anne Bertumen (photo by Tony Nelson) |
The construction of the play is so smart and interesting, with the disjointed dream-like or memory scenes giving way to a more traditional realistic scene. It could be difficult to follow, if not for Wendy Knox's clear direction and the design elements that guide us through it. And this cast is up to the task of this tricky script. Much of the play is a two-hander with Stephanie Anne Bertumen and Clay Man Soo, and they both adeptly navigate the intense subject matter and complex narrative structure. Both give heart-breaking and heart-felt performances, and manage to make the repeated scenes different and interesting with completely different line readings. They make a great team, with Keivin Vang fitting right in and giving a strong performance in the final scene.
The play takes place just after 9-11 in Newark, so the characters fears are heightened, with frequent references to "what happened in September." (This also allows for some fun early aughts music and fashion, costume design by Kathy Kohl.) Twenty-some years later and another event has caused immigrants (documented and undocumented) to become more fearful and uncertain about their future. I'm not sure when Frank chose this play, but they could not have known just how immediate its themes would be, with mass deportations happening daily. This play shows us the human side of two innocent children who were brought to this country, educated here, and made a life here, but can't experience the fullness of life and that elusive American Dream.
